Rivals slam Florida's Crist for no comment on Sotomayor, federal issues

[bobbyw24]

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/politics/story/72012.html

Rivals slam Florida's Crist for no comment on Sotomayor, federal issues
Beth Reinhard and Mark Caputo | The Miami Herald

last updated: July 17, 2009 08:04:16 AM

Republican Charlie Crist says he's too busy governing Florida to take a stand on Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor and other federal issues.

But his leading rivals for the U.S. Senate accused him Thursday of ducking tough questions, noting that the governor keeps making time to attend out-of-state fundraisers to pump up his record-setting campaign account.

"If you want to serve as U.S. senator, people deserve to know where you stand on the issues," said Republican Marco Rubio, who opposes Sotomayor's confirmation. "I'm prepared to fly up to Washington and New York to debate him . . . if I have to work around his fundraising schedule."

The front-running Democratic candidate, U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek of Miami, also called on Crist Thursday to weigh in on the Supreme Court nominee.

"Florida needs a senator who studies the issues of the day and stakes out principled positions rooted in conviction," Meek said in a fundraising appeal that praised Sotomayor. "Our state does not need a fence sitter who is the last person to formulate opinions about issues of profound importance."

Sitting on a double-digit lead in the polls, Crist has limited his campaign activities to attending private fundraisers and heralding endorsements in press releases. In contrast, lesser-known candidates such as Rubio and Meek have been traversing the state to speak at political and civic clubs, Fourth of July picnics and other community events.

To read the complete article, visit www.miamiherald.com.

[JeNNiF00F00]

Maybe if he dropped all his women he'd have more time.

[erowe1]

This is a good strategy for Rubio. He doesn't get to cast an actual vote on her, and by the time he would be in the Senate her confirmation will have been ancient history. So he won't ever have to put his money where his mouth is. He can just complain from the peanut gallery, and most conservatives will be all too happy to take him at his word and give him credit for opposing Sotomayor, no matter how meaningless this all is for determining how he will vote on the things he actually will have to vote on when he will be in the Senate if he wins. If he manages to win the primary with this kind of cant, then he can still go on to campaign as however moderate he wants to be for the general election and cast the same centrist votes as could be expected from Crist if he does get elected, all without having to flip flop on anything. Compare this to all the mileage Obama got in 2008 for his irrelevant opposition to the Iraq war back when he was just an Illinois state legislator.

Hopefully Florida conservatives and Constitutionalists will see through this and start demanding that Rubio stick his neck out and start making specific commitments about the things he actually will have a chance to vote on should he be elected to the Senate. Unfortunately, so far he seems to be doing a good job of convincing everyone he's for less government without having to back it up.